*!Build of the year candidate!* Strange PNW Build: E30+Volvo

[Donkeyshins]

One of the things I'm trying to deal with (it's a personal problem) is not having this engine look “too new” in the vintage body. The reason I painted the block that color and wrinkle black painted the valve cover. My attempt to change the look leads me down some really silly paths. Like making an N52 oil cap vintage-erator. 😛








Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I stopped by the shop and met up with Adam and saw the progress. This is going to be a gem when everything is finished! Lots of really neat ideas at play.

[adam.nonis]

Plenum mold is done. Not the best ever made, but these always try my patience. Hopefully pull a part next week-ish






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[adam.nonis]

Step one. Trimmed fresh out of the mold. Showing throttle body placement. Other half is done. Going to try and find time to combine the halves tonight. There'll be plenty of finish work to be done, but that's always the case for me.








Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[adam.nonis]

Beauty shots. Still some pinholes to fill on the plenum. Later though.












Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Panici]

Visually that looks fantastic!

Let me preface this by saying: I don't know anything about intake manifold design.
With that shape at the rear of the plenum, will #6 have the same airflow as say #3?

[adam.nonis]

Visually that looks fantastic!

Let me preface this by saying: I don't know anything about intake manifold design.
With that shape at the rear of the plenum, will #6 have the same airflow as say #3?

That remains to be seen, but with most intake designs there is a balance between packaging and airflow. Most cars don't have 100% equal airflow on all cylinders and design typically attempts to get the percentage of separation as low as possible across all cylinders. We sent through this in the early 90s with turbo Buicks. The rear two cylinders actually were lean in comparison to the front two. My thought process was to balance brake booster clearance and change the cross sectional area in a way that would help velocity the further away from the throttle body it got. In reality, if there was a cylinder I'd be concerned with, it'd be #1. We'll see. Luckily, the injectors are in the head. If this royally sucks, I can just put on one of the standard options.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Panici]

How will you determine per-cyl mixture though? Individual EGT bungs?

[adam.nonis]

How will you determine per-cyl mixture though? Individual EGT bungs?

You could. That's what you'd do if you wanted max HP. I won't be going through that much effort. You just tune to knock. Typically. I'm not 100% familiar with BMW tuning, but I know the N52 has knock sensors. If you can get knock and AFR to align, you're usually pretty good.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Donkeyshins]

As always, amazing work, adam.nonis! I really like the patterning on the plastic!